LAST DAY TO HELP -- This is How They Want to Isolate Us Now -- And What We Can Do About It
OrMenorah Congregation
12 Iyar 5786 - Omer 27
April 29, 2026
Dear Congregants,
We need your help today, but first, please realize that what is happening here is a playing out of the words of Shlomo Hamelech, and there is nothing new under the sun (Kohelet 1:9). It just changes its name--
The old name of BDS is the Arab Economic Boycott of Israel, which began already in 1946 as an attempt to strangle the livelihood of the Jewish community in Palestine. After the failure of 5 Arab armies to eradicate the Jewish State at its birth, they switched to the economic front as war by other means. Click here to read the official US Congressional Research Service report, including how the United States made it illegal for American companies to participate in it.
The difference between the Arab boycott and BDS is that the economic battlefront against the Jewish State is happening within the homeland itself. In Illinois, State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid and his supporters seek to pave the way to institute boycotts, pressure American companies and universities to divest from Israel, and to impose sanctions against the Jewish State by rewriting the current law prohibiting companies from harming American interests by boycotting the Jewish State. (See above for the preamble to HB7323.) It is a campaign to isolate us for our support of the US-Israel relationship.
This latest mutation of the decades long campaign was suspended in February, but is now back on the agenda. We must stop them, and we need everyone to help. BDS proponents lie to legislators, falsely claiming that the Jewish community opposes the State of Israel, and therefore supports BDS. Witness Slips from as many supporters of the US-Israel relationship will help disprove these specious claims by fringe groups.
Here is the email I received from community leadership:
A bill that would repeal Illinois’ decade-old anti-BDS law is being heard by a committee in the Illinois House of Representatives on April 30th. We need your help to stand with the Jewish community and defeat this repeal effort. You can help do this by submitting a witness slip stating your opposition to this BDS bill. Even if you have already filled out a witness slip opposing the bill, we request that you do so again.
Our goal is for the International Relations Tourism and Trade Committee members to go into their April 30 hearing knowing that the Jewish community is squarely opposed to this BDS bill (HB2723). We don’t have long to submit witness slips, and we need Committee members to know where we stand!
Witness slips are a critical tool to demonstrate public support or opposition to state legislative initiatives, and strength in numbers is essential to making the position of our community clear to state legislators. BDS supporters from across Illinois and the nation are mobilizing and submitting witness slips in favor of this bill – we need your help to counter their efforts.
Click this link and use the following instructions to have your voice heard: Witness Slip Submission.
Step 1: Complete the “Identification” section. For “Firm/Business/Agency” put “NA” unless you are representing an organization.
Step 2: Fill out the “Representation” section by entering “Self”
Step 3: Fill out the “Position” section.
1. Click the white box that says “Add Subject Matter” and then select “HB 2723”
2. Click the white box that says “Add Position” and then select “Opponent” (Double check to make sure you selected the correct option).
3. Click the blue “Add Position” button
Step 4: Fill out the “Testimony” section by clicking only “Record of Appearance Only”
Step 5: Select box next to "I Agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement"
Step 6: Select “I’m not a robot” and then click “Submit Witness Slip”
That’s it…you’ve registered your opposition to this anti-Israel bill!
Please forward this message to friends, family, colleagues, congregants, etc. The more registered opponents, the better! This is time sensitive, BDS supporters are actively mobilizing. You don’t have to live in Illinois to complete a witness slip. Please share far and wide.
Please take action now, it will take less than 3 minutes.
Tefila b'ad Acheinu Kol Beit Yisrael
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